Moving to Finland to be with a family member
If you have a family member who lives in Finland and you want to move in to live with him or her, you need a residence permit on the basis of family ties.
Your family member who lives in Finland is called a ‘sponsor’. Persons who can act as your sponsor include your child, your spouse or partner or your parent or guardian. Granting a residence permit requires that you intend to lead a family life with the sponsor in Finland.
All relatives cannot act as sponsors, as the Finnish law defines the persons considered to be family members. The concept of family is narrower in Finland than in many other countries.
EU citizens do not need a residence permit in Finland. The legal definition of an EU citizen’s family members is also different. Read more on the page EU registration.
Who are considered family members?
Family members of a Finnish citizen and a foreign national who is not an EU citizen include:
- a spouse
- a registered partner
- a cohabiting partner
- You are required to have lived together for a continuous period of at least 2 years. This requirement does not apply if you have joint custody of a child or if there are other serious reasons.
- a person who has custody of a child under 18 years of age
- an unmarried child under 18 years of age of whom the sponsor has custody.
Who are not considered family members?
Following persons are not considered family members:
- A person you are dating. However, the person you are dating may get a residence permit on other grounds.
- Other relatives.
Choose the right application on the basis of family ties
When you apply for a residence permit on the basis of family ties, the application you should use depends on the following facts:
- Your relationship to the sponsor – is he or she for example your spouse or your child?
- The grounds on which the sponsor is residing in Finland – does he or she, for example, have refugee status or Finnish citizenship?
Read the information about the requirements for granting a residence permit and about the required attachments thoroughly before applying for a residence permit.
If you are unsure about which application you should choose, use the Application Finder. See the application pages for more information.
Apply for your first residence permit outside Finland and fill in the application form carefully
Apply for a first residence permit abroad and visit a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) to prove your identity. Wait for the decision abroad. Submit your application using the online service Enter Finland. If you cannot use Enter Finland, fill in a paper application.
If you have turned 18, you must apply for a residence permit yourself. Your sponsor cannot submit the application on your behalf. Only your legal counsel or representative may submit an application on your behalf. Even in that case, you must visit a Finnish mission abroad in person to prove your identity. Your sponsor can help you with filling in the application. The application will be processed faster if it has been filled in correctly.
You can submit an application for a first residence permit on the basis of family ties while you are in Finland only if:
- you are a family member of a Finnish citizen
- you are applying for a residence permit for your child who is born in Finland.
You can watch our webinar about residence permits for family members. The topics covered in the webinar include residence permit applications, income requirement and extended permits.
- Please note that the requirements for family reunification have changed on 16 June 2025 and some of the information on the video is outdated. See the page Amendments to Aliens Act in June 2025 for more information on what has changed.
If your spouse uses the fast-track service
If your spouse is applying for a residence permit via the fast-track service and you apply at the same time, you can get a residence permit in two weeks. Your spouse can submit a fast-track application, if he or she is applying for
- a residence permit for a specialist
- an intra-corporate transferee permit (‘ICT residence permit’) as a specialist or a manager
- a residence permit for work in the top or middle management of a company
- an EU Blue Card or
- a residence permit for a start-up entrepreneur.
Choose the correct application on the basis of family ties. When your spouse has submitted his or her application, you will receive an email containing a fast track ID number that you should add to your application. You must submit your application within two days after your spouse submits his or her application.
Fast-track applications can be submitted only in the online service Enter Finland. For more information, see the page Fast track.
In most cases, you must have sufficient financial resources
‘Sufficient financial resources’ or 'secure means of support' means that you have sufficient funds for you and your family to live in Finland. Your income can come for example from employment, a private enterprise, assets or pensions.
See the following pages for more information:
Changes in your family ties
If your family ties change during your application process, tell the Finnish Immigration Service about the changes. Changes in family ties include:
- birth of a child
- changes in a child’s custody
- marriage
- divorce
- death of a family member
See the page Changes in your family ties.
